Polls close in Singapore presidential election with Tharman Shanmugaratnam the favourite in 3-way contest

Friday’s vote is the first contested presidential election since 2011, with the incumbent Halimah Yacob having come to power in a walkover contest in 2017

Former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is favoured to win but analysts believe some voters will use Friday’s vote to voice dissatisfaction with the ruling party

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Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Jane Yumiko Ittogi (in red). Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:59am, 1 Sep 2023Updated: 8:01pm, 1 Sep 2023

Polls have closed in Singapore’s three-way presidential race that former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is favoured to win, even though some citizens are expected to use their vote to show dissatisfaction with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

Opinion polls were banned during the nine-day campaign period, but analysts believe the PAP’s large base among the 2.7 million eligible voters will get behind Tharman – one of the party’s most popular leaders in recent decades.

Ng Kok Song, a former chief investment officer in the state investor GIC, is seen as the next most palatable to the republic’s middle-ground voters.

Tan Kin Lian, a former chief executive officer of the state-linked insurer NTUC, gained endorsements from a handful of opposition politicians, and has been described as the preferred choice of voters hoping to use the contest to show their disaffection with the PAP.

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Singaporean voters cast their ballots in city state’s first presidential election since 2011

The Singapore presidency is a largely ceremonial and non-partisan role, with some custodial powers over the use of fiscal reserves and the appointment of senior public officials. Presidential hopefuls must meet stringent criteria to qualify for the contest.